Online Reporter
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has sparked heated conversations after making it clear that social media influencers must declare all their earnings, including products, services, and travel perks.
According to SARS, this category of taxpayers is not exempt from the country’s tax laws.
In a statement, SARS explained its legal mandate to collect revenue due to the state and ensure tax compliance. The institution said its approach is based on voluntary compliance, where taxpayers are assumed to be honest and willing to meet their obligations.
Edward Kieswetter, SARS Commissioner, stressed the importance of cooperation from content creators.
“SARS is looking forward to working with this segment to provide clarity and certainty, but also to provide them with a seamless taxpayer experience,” he said. “SARS is more than willing to assist honest taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations. I am reminding social influencers to uphold their end of the bargain.”
While SARS sees this as a step towards structure, popular social media influencer Lasizwe Dambuza is not entirely convinced. Speaking to Sunday World, he slammed the decision, saying many content creators are struggling to survive.
“Being an influencer is not as glamorous as people think. It’s actually very tough to navigate this world, and even harder to reach a point where you can confidently invoice and charge for your work. Every single day, influencers are negotiated down, and it’s ironic because when you walk into a store like Pick n Pay to buy bread, you’d never ask to negotiate the price. Yet, in this industry, our value is constantly questioned.”
Lasizwe went on to highlight the hidden costs of being an influencer.
“Sometimes you’re paying thousands for makeup, transport, or outfits just to attend an event for free. You’ll maybe get a goodie bag, but now even that is being seen as taxable. It’s [baffling]. I really empathise and sympathise with content creators who are not making real money from this work, and now they’re expected to pay tax just to be content creators. That’s heartbreaking.”
I want to be clear, I do pay tax. Mina I’ve always contributed and I believe in building this country.
But this industry isn’t traditional. There are blurred lines between paid work, gifting, trade exchanges, and delayed payments, like some creators still wait months to be paid.…
The influencer also took to X (formerly Twitter) to further explain his stance. He clarified that he does pay tax but believes SARS needs to understand the unique nature of the industry.
“I want to be clear, I do pay tax. Mina I’ve always contributed and I believe in building this country. But this industry isn’t traditional. There are blurred lines between paid work, gifting, trade exchanges, and delayed payments, like some creators still wait months to be paid.”
He added, “Taxing influencers without understanding how we work risks punishing survival, not regulating success. Yebo, creators are getting cars, campaigns, and visibility but the lines between income, trade, and gifting are still unclear.
“That’s why we need structure, education, and open dialogue, not shame or confusion. Mina, I’d genuinely welcome a workshop or sit down with abo SARS to discuss how creators can contribute in a way that’s fair, informed, and future-proof. Nithini nina?” − OK
